Metal detectable scouring pad

Abstract

A detectable scouring pad is provided that is made with a sparse unwoven base polymer that defines the pad shape, an overcoating of cured thermoset resin loaded with a particulate on the base polymer, the particulate present in an amount to render the polymer detectable by X-ray detection or magnetometer detection. A process of detecting a scouring pad includes forming a fiber composed of a base polymer having a cross-section and a length, and distributing a particulate on the thermoplastic polymer in a thermoset resin matrix. The process further includes forming a sparse unwoven thermoplastic polymer from the fiber, and manufacturing the scouring pad from the sparse unwoven polymer by overcoating the base polymer with a particulate loaded thermoset resin. The scouring pad is passed through an X-ray detector or a magnetometer detector, and a signal is collected from the detector indicative of the presence of the scouring pad.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A process of detecting a scouring pad comprising:
 forming a fiber comprising a polymer having a cross-section and a length as a sparse unwoven polymer from said fiber; 
 overcoating said fiber with a curable thermoset resin containing particulate in an amount to render said pad spectroscopically detectable based on detection of said particulate; 
 allowing said curable thermoset resin to cure to form the scouring pad; 
 passing the scouring pad through an X-ray detector; and 
 collecting a signal from said X-ray detector indicative of the presence of the scouring pad. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1  wherein forming said fiber includes forming a fiber comprising cellulose, nylon, or spun polypropylene. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1  further comprising preparing said overcoating by mixing said curable thermoset resin with said particulate of one of iron, bronze, brass, steel, barium salts, cobalt, titanium, tin, copper, tungsten, platinum, silver, bismuth, zinc, lead, molybdenum, neodymium, samarium, alloys of any of the aforementioned, oxides of any of the aforementioned metals, or nitrides of any of the aforementioned. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 1  wherein said fiber is formed of one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, a polyamide, a polyacrylate, a polystyrene, a polyurethane, an acetal resins, a polyethylene vinyl alcohol; a polyester, a polyphenylene sulfide, a thermoplastic elastomers, a polyacrylonitrile; a cellulose, a polyaramid, or a block copolymer containing at least one of the aforementioned. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 1  wherein said fiber is formed of a polymer having a single composition with the cross section that is one of circular, multi-lobal, or polygonal. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 1  wherein forming said fiber to have a diameter between 0.1 and 500 microns. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 1  further comprising preparing said overcoating by mixing said curable thermoset resin with said particulate wherein said particulate is present from 30 to 85% total weight of the fiber. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 1  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes applying said overcoating to have a thickness of between 10 and 200 percent of a diameter of the polymer fibers. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 1  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes overcoating said fiber with at least one of a poly(meth)acrylate, a polyesters, an epoxy, a polyurethane, or a polyurea. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 1  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of woven fabric. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 1  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 1  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of thermoplastic film. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 1  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of a polymeric sponge. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 1  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin that is water based acrylic and phenolics. 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 1  wherein said particulate is iron, iron oxide, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       16. A process of detecting a scouring pad comprising:
 forming a fiber comprising a polymer having a cross-section and a length as a sparse unwoven polymer from said fiber; 
 overcoating said fiber with a curable thermoset resin containing particulate in an amount to render said pad spectroscopically detectable based on detection of said particulate; 
 allowing said curable thermoset resin to cure to form the scouring pad; 
 passing the scouring pad through a magnetic detector; and 
 collecting a signal from said magnetic detector indicative of the presence of the scouring pad. 
 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 16  wherein forming said fiber includes forming a fiber comprising cellulose, nylon, or spun polypropylene. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 16  further comprising preparing said overcoating by mixing said curable thermoset resin with said particulate of one of iron, bronze, brass, steel, barium salts, cobalt, titanium, tin, copper, tungsten, platinum, silver, bismuth, zinc, lead, molybdenum, neodymium, samarium, alloys of any of the aforementioned, oxides of any of the aforementioned metals, or nitrides of any of the aforementioned. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 16  wherein said fiber is formed of one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, a polyamide, a polyacrylate, a polystyrene, a polyurethane, an acetal resins, a polyethylene vinyl alcohol; a polyester, a polyphenylene sulfide, a thermoplastic elastomers, a polyacrylonitrile; a cellulose, a polyaramid, or a block copolymer containing at least one of the aforementioned. 
     
     
       20. The process of  claim 16  wherein said fiber is formed of a polymer having a single composition with the cross section that is one of circular, multi-lobal, or polygonal. 
     
     
       21. The process of  claim 16  wherein forming said fiber to have a diameter between 0.1 and 500 microns. 
     
     
       22. The process of  claim 16  further comprising preparing said overcoating by mixing said curable thermoset resin with said particulate wherein said particulate is present from 30 to 85% total weight of the fiber. 
     
     
       23. The process of  claim 16  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes applying said overcoating to have a thickness of between 10 and 200 percent of a diameter of the polymer fibers. 
     
     
       24. The process of  claim 16  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes overcoating said fiber with at least one of a poly(meth)acrylate, a polyesters, an epoxy, a polyurethane, or a polyurea. 
     
     
       25. The process of  claim 16  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of woven fabric. 
     
     
       26. The process of  claim 16  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of nonwoven fabric. 
     
     
       27. The process of  claim 16  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of thermoplastic film. 
     
     
       28. The process of  claim 16  further comprising bonding the scouring pad to a substrate of a polymeric sponge. 
     
     
       29. The process of  claim 16  wherein overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin containing particulate includes overcoating said fiber with said curable thermoset resin that is water based acrylic and phenolics. 
     
     
       30. The process of  claim 16  wherein said particulate is iron, iron oxide, or a combination thereof.